Last Call: Acting Like a Musician

In Gwyneth Paltrow’s current
movie, Country Strong,
writer/director Shana Feste
wanted as much realism as possible,
so she stacked Gwyneth’s
band with Nashville regulars,
including Jim Lauderdale on
acoustic, Bucky Baxter on steel,
yours truly on bass, and a few
other recognizable faces in the
country-music scene filling out
the rest of the band. The entire
gig consisted of us playing a few
concerts, with the band faking
it onstage to pre-recorded tracks
while Paltrow sang live.

Paltrow has a compelling
voice and sang really well both
live and in the studio. I’ve
worked with many major-label
acts that would not have sounded
nearly as good under these
circumstances. During a break,
I asked, “So, if you end up having
a big ol’ hit song from this
movie, would you tour?”

She thought about it for a
few beats, then smiled and said,
“I really like singing, but . . . I
don’t know.” I appreciated her
hesitance, because it revealed a
deeper understanding of what
it means to be a musician.
Paltrow’s husband fronts the
mega-selling band Coldplay,
so she gets it. For most of us,
music starts as a quaint hobby.
But, like all addictions, it subtly
begins to grow under your
skin and eventually fuses with
your identity.

But, lacking this awareness,
many actors see music
as a yet-to-be-exploited revenue
source. They look at
their trophy case and think,
“A Grammy and a platinum
record would look nice next
to my People’s Choice and
Emmy. I’ll just call my manager
and have him arrange
it.” These actors have this
incredible, unwavering belief
that because they are successful
in one area, they can
do anything. This kind of
self-confidence produces some
interesting work.

William Shatner’s 1968
album, The Transformed Man,
remains one of my desert-island
records. To hear him emote
with immeasurable conviction,
shouting “Mr. Tambourine
Man” as if he is teetering on the
head of a pin, madness on one
side, agony on the other—well,
that’s just pure Shat. One has to
admire his confidence.

Leonard Nimoy’s 1968
album, the ironically titled
The Way I Feel, does not connect
emotionally (which is
to be expected from a green-blooded
Vulcan), but remains
a joy to hear. His somewhat
subdued performance and
lackluster sales did not prevent
him from making another
five albums. When it comes
to music, the crew of the
Enterprise boldly goes where
no man has gone before.

David Hasselhoff displays
definite Shat-esque confidence
with his music, the kind of
confidence that enables a man
to do a photo shoot wearing
nothing but a Speedo, an open
leather jacket, a thick mane of
chest hair, and a “Come hither”
glare. The Hoff enjoyed two
No. 1 hits in Germany and just
released his 17th album, A Real
Good Feeling. For me, hearing
the Hoff evokes a real good
feeling much like hearing the
Shat. Part of that feeling may be
envy for their unwavering self-assurance
and thick head and
body hair. Check out the music
of Steven Seagal—it, too, is pure
Shat that will make you shiver.

But one can’t really applaud
the actor/musician who lacks
conviction—those of the
Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan,
and Joaquin Phoenix variety.
It doesn’t matter that they
can’t sing or rap—plenty of
platinum-selling acts can’t. But
clearly these forays into music began with a PR team hounding
the media while pounding
the ’net, and then ended in
damage control, redirections,
and, in Joaquin’s case, leaving
himself an ambiguous out: If
the music career works, great,
he’s an artist. If not, it’s an edgy
hoax and you’re too stupid to
get it.

I admire the actors who, like
many of us, love playing music
but don’t make a big deal out
of it. Gary Sinise, a long-time
bass player, is a passionate supporter
of American troops. He
wanted to help, so he started
his “Lieutenant Dan Band” and
has since performed at military
bases around the world. After
a lifetime of playing music for
fun, Jeff Bridges has started
doing shows on the strength of
his film Crazy Heart. Nothing
heavy or ego driven—just a
dude and his friends who put
their band back together. I
know a couple of the guys who
play in Kevin Costner’s band.
They say it’s a fun, no-pressure,
feel-good gig—often with
excellent catering.

Undeniably, showmanship
usually helps a music career.
When a musician works the
stage, trying to connect with
the audience, isn’t that acting?
I don’t think B.B. King is honestly
moved by all of his solos,
but if you watch his face you’d
swear every note slashes a razor
across his heart.

As the bard said:

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and
women merely players;
They have their exits
and their entrances;
And one man in his
time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.

—William Shakespeare,
from As You Like It

We may all be acting, but
the fact that more musicians
have successfully worked in film
than actors have successfully
launched careers in music suggests
that, of the two disciplines,
music is more challenging.

John Bohlinger is
a Nashville-based guitarist
who works primarily
in TV and has recorded
and toured with over 30
major-label artists. His songs
and playing can be heard
in major motion pictures, on major-label
releases, and in literally hundreds of television
drops. Visit him at youtube.com/user/johnbohlinger
or facebook.com/johnbohlinger.

John Bohlinger is a Nashville-based multi-instrumentalist best known for leading the band on NBC's Nashville Star and serving as music director for the CMT Awards and specials on PBS and GAC. When not filming Rig Rundowns and gear reviews for PG, John plays pedal steel for Lee Brice.

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